Without You ( A Birthday Tale)
by RenaissanceElf
Summary: Tintin's 23rd birthday approaches. The Captain wants everything to be perfect for his special friend; but will the captain be able to reach inside his heart and find the words to tell the person who means the most to him what needs to be said?


**Without You...**

A special day has come. It is Tintin's birthday. He is turning 23. Captain Haddock went into town buying stationery supplies and a couple of new edition books that Tintin truly enjoys. Each gift is wrapped up meticulously by Nestor. Nestor has a knack for making everything look so wonderful and appealing. A cake is picked up from one of the best bakers in all of Brussels decorated with Happy Birthday Tintin in blue with blue flowers with green leaves adorning the sides.

Professor Calculus has bought his own pile of gifts for Tintin and like Haddock's, are meticulously wrapped up. Snowy wags his tale and jumps around in excitement with all the bustle at Marlinspike Hall. Snowy already had a birthday cap tied to his head.

Professor Calculus waits by the window waiting and watching with Snowy with his own birthday cap on.

Mrs. Finch arrives in the door with a huge bucket of wonderful ice cream.

"This way please Mrs. Finch" Nestor leads her into the kitchen.

Nestor and Mrs. Finch work furiously together to prepare snacks and party favors.

"Tintin really appreciates stuff like this... he did when he was a child. I think the child still resides deep inside him" Mrs. Finch tells Nestor.

"The master appreciates your help Mrs. Finch, he thinks it means a lot to the young master" Nestor smiles.

"It's no problem, I did help raise him after all" Mrs. Finch nods.

"Blisterin' Barnacles Cuthbert help us!" Haddock yells stressed trying to put streamers up.

"What's that you say Captain?" Calculus turns around.

"I said...HELP US!" the Captain yells.

"Oh I'm sorry..." Calculus says helping Haddock spread the streamers across the room.

Suddenly a car pulls up to the front.

"Thunderin' Typhoons! I told those idiots to call before coming!" Haddock thundered.

Calculus walks over to the window and sees Wagner and Irma escorting a certain person whom Haddock detests, but the Professor absolutely adores!

"By all that is good Captain! Madame Castafiore is here!" Calculus shouts in excitement.

"Where!?" Haddock throws the streamer into the air panicking.

"Why I thought it was nice of her to offer to come and sing happy birthday to Tintin so I told her you'd be delighted for her to come" Calculus smiled.

"You! You! Turncoat!" Haddock shouted in frustration at the Professor.

"Now Captain, we aren't at sea so I don't know why you would ask me to turn the boat!" Calculus exclaimed.

The door bell rang and in came in Wagner and Irma carrying a variety of suitcases leading Madame Bianca Castafiore.

"Madame! It's such a pleasure to be graced with such beauty and talent!" Calculus swooned as she walked in with her fur coat, gloves, and hat.

"Oh Professor Calculus, you make me blush!" she smiled.

"Where is the birthday boy?" Castafiore looked around.

"He's not here yet Madame" Haddock informed her.

"Oh Captain Stopcock! It's such a pleasure again!" she beamed.

"That's HADDOCK!" the Captain shouted in annoyance.

The phone rang suddenly as Haddock quickly answered the phone.

"Hello!" Haddock answered with irritation in his voice.

"Captain? We're on our way" Thompson quickly informed.

"Already?" Haddock asked.

"Yes Captain, I have to go Tintin is coming in the room" Thompson abruptly hung up the phone.

"Ok everyone! We have to hurry up! Tintin is on his way!" Haddock announced.

"In that case Captain Hammock, I'd better get straight to warming up, come Wagner!" Castafiore wasted no time going to the piano.

Haddock rolled his eyes clasping both of his hands, "God spare me!"

Haddock quickly rounded up Nestor and Calculus with Mrs. Finch to help with the final touches, then suddenly it hit him. The birthday card!

"Billions of Billous Blisterin' Blue Barnacles!" Haddock stressed looking at the blank card which only said Happy Birthday on it.

"Nestor! Mrs. Finch! I need help with something to write on the card!" Haddock stressed.

"With all due respects sir, write something that you feel with the sincerity of your heart" Nestor advised.

"I agree, Tintin would prefer something more genuine then something written by someone else" Mrs. Finch agreed handing Haddock a pen.

"Oh Thunderin' Typhoons! What to say!" Haddock stressed as he ran to his study closing the doors to try to block out Castafiore's loud singing.

"I'm not good at this!" Haddock stressed. Haddock thought and thought then suddenly just began writing whatever came to his mind.

_My Dear Boy,_

_I'm not good at this so I want to tell you this the best way I know how... I couldn't imagine life without you..._

_Before I met you, I was a mess. I had no direction in my life existing miserably day to day doing only what I must._

_When you came through my porthole, I didn't know what to think of one so young trying to fill a man's shoes._

_I admit I dragged you down at first, but you made me want to be better._

_Once I saw how well you held yourself up, I began to slowly try to climb my way closer to you._

_Little by little I felt life began to take shape, the tasks and adventures were laborious._

_I resented the fact that a little young man had his life more together than a grown man like myself._

_Eventually I came to admire you for your perseverance, loyalty, and diligence._

_You were a man even though to me you were still a child._

_I watched you continue to grow and shine your compassion although sometimes I thought you were very naive._

_It nearly costed you your life and other times your foolhardiness made me realize that you needed someone to look after you._

_I knew I had to be there to stand by your side to protect you from harm._

_It was when I almost lost you during our last adventure that I felt my heart sink into a big hole._

_I swore from that time on that I would stand by your side and hold you when you were cold._

_I swore I would fight any bandit, turncoat, iconoclast that would dare lay their hands on you._

_Because without you, the sun shine would not look so bright. _

_The sea's vastness would seem empty._

_You're more precious to me than the purist diamond in the world._

_You're more precious to me than the finest yachts with closets full of the best Loch Lomond._

_I would give up all my wealth here at Marlinspike Hall if it meant I had to choose between you or my birthright._

_If it meant I would have to live the rest of my days as a pauper, I would as long as we could always be together._

_But if you were to leave or disappear from my world..._

_Not all the whiskey in the world would keep me drunk enough to prevent me from missing you._

_Snowy would not look so Snowy anymore._

_Life without you would have no meaning!_

_I guess, "BLISTERIN' BARNACLES" what I'm trying to say is... I love you! Happy Birthday!_

_Love Always... Your one and only Captain Haddock_

Haddock wasn't sure about what he wrote but he felt he said what he had to say and gently sealed the card in the envelope with love.

"Captain! It's Tintin! He's here with the Detectives!" Cuthbert shouted.

"Thousands of Thundering Typhoons!" Haddock panicked like a deer in headlights.

"Come on Captain! Tintin is about to come through the door, and Madame is about to begin singing!" the Professor said grabbing the Captain's arm dragging him to the front door.

Everyone was in place. The Captain, Nestor, Mrs. Finch, and the Professor waited as the Thom(p)sons were escorting Tintin inside the manor.

"What's the rush Detectives? What are the two of you up to?" Tintin asked suspiciously as the door slowly opened as he walked up the main stairway.

"Go on!" Thompson urged him.

"In you go!" Thomson said giving Tintin a knudge in the door.

"Detectives!" Tintin protested but then a barrage of melodious Happy Birthday assailed him as he saw everyone waiting for him shouting Happy Birthday.

"Give him the card! Go on!" Nestor whispered.

"He'll like it I'm sure!" Mrs. Finch whispered.

After the song Madame Castafiore sang melodically, which even Haddock thought sounded nice, Haddock handed Tintin his card.

"Thank you! No all of you didn't-" Tintin smiled.

"Yes! We did!" the Professor grinned.

"Go on read it!" Mrs. Finch smiled while the Captain's face begin to blush a little.

Tintin smiled and opened the card which smelled of tobacco.

Mrs. Finch, Madame Castafiore, Nestor, Thompson & Thomson, Wagner, Irma, and the Professor watched Tintin's face blush and his freckly face smile and a single tear role down his cheek as the Captain clumsily fumbled for his pipe and tobacco.

Tintin saw all the streamers, balloons, gifts, and the birthday cake. Everyone that was there to help make this day a bit more special warmed Tintin's heart; but, the card was more than enough for Tintin. No matter how long you are with someone, it never gets old hearing or reading these special words. Tintin's day suddenly became a thousand times better than before.

Shortly after Tintin ran to the Captain and hugging him around his neck. The Captain dropped his pipe and tobacco suddenly catching him off guard, but didn't care. He embraced Tintin in a long meaningful hug and heard exactly what he wanted to hear.

"I love you too Captain!" Tintin whispered as he and the Captain remained embraced. Everyone around applauded shouting "Happy Birthday!"


End file.
